Electrical generator or motor structure – Dynamoelectric – Rotary
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-27
2001-08-07
Ramirez, Nestor (Department: 2834)
Electrical generator or motor structure
Dynamoelectric
Rotary
C310S071000, C310S0400MM, C310SDIG006
Reexamination Certificate
active
06271610
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to electromagnetic vibrators incorporated into devices driven mainly by batteries, and such devices. The present invention specifically relates to the electric connections between an electromagnet vibrator and a device, where an elastic body interfaces in between.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Among devices driven by batteries, especially mobile information devices such as portable telephones and personal information management (PIM) devices, there are devices which inform a user of incoming calls through bodily sensation by the vibration of an electromagnetic vibrator incorporated in the device.
A widely used vibrating method uses an electromagnetic vibrator as a drive for cost and energy efficiency reasons. Some electromagnetic vibrators contain a rotation-vibration structure in which an eccentric weight is attached to a motor while others have a reciprocating-vibration structure such as a speaker.
As a method of fixing the electromagnetic vibrator to the device, in most of the cases, one of the following methods is adopted. One method uses screws to fix the electromagnetic vibrator firmly to the device. In the other method, the electromagnetic vibrator is inserted into the device via an elastic body. With the latter method, the electromagnetic vibrator can be protected from impact caused when the device is accidentally dropped. Furthermore, since there is an elastic body, its cushioning function provides a shock absorbing effect to the whole body of the device itself. For these reasons the latter method is more widely used.
The main components to be incorporated into a portable device of this kind, are a button battery, electronic components and an electromagnetic vibrator. Common electric connection methods between those components and the device include the following.
The first method is used when incorporating the button battery into the device. A structure in which a flat spring protruding from the device contacts elastically an electrode of the button battery, is adopted so that the button battery can be easily placed and removed. The next method is used when mounting electronic components on a printed circuit board. In this case, the electronic components are mounted by reflow-soldering.
A conventional method used when incorporating the electromagnetic vibrator into the device is described as follows.
FIG. 8
shows a side view of a conventional mounting structure of a motor functioning as an electromagnetic vibrator incorporated into the device.
In
FIG. 8
, a slim cylindrical motor
151
functioning as an electromagnetic vibrator has a case
153
. One end of the output shaft of the motor
151
protrudes out of the case
153
. The tip of the shaft is provided with an eccentric weight
200
. With the rotation of the motor
151
, the eccentric weight
200
rotates generating vibration.
The case
153
of the motor
151
is covered with a boot
155
made of synthetic rubber, and is placed between a mounting plate
161
and a housing
162
of the device.
Conventionally, in the case of the motor
151
which is elastically disposed in the above-mentioned manner, a lead line
154
for supplying electricity to the motor
151
is connected by soldering considering the reliability.
However, in recent years, there has been increasing demand for an improved productivity by using automatic assembling machine to facilitate incorporation of the electromagnetic vibrator into the device. To respond to such demand, when incorporating the electromagnetic vibrator into the device, the method used when incorporating a button battery into the device, has come to be adopted. That is, an elastically-connected electric connection structure has been more widely used. One of the related prior arts was disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. H08-308170.
FIG. 9
shows a perspective view of a conventional mounting structure of a motor to the device.
In
FIG. 9
, an eccentric weight
192
is attached to a rotation shaft of a slim cylindrical motor
181
. The motor
181
and the eccentric weight
182
constitute the electromagnetic vibrator. A case
183
of the motor
181
is fixed to a mounting board
191
by elastic holders
192
. Electrodes (not illustrated) which connect inside of the motor, are formed on one end of the case
183
. Elastic holders
193
protrude from the mounting board
191
. The electrode mentioned above contact with a pair of holders
193
. The device and the motor
181
are electrically connected by the holders
193
to supply electricity to the motor
181
. With this construction, the motor
181
is fixed to the mounting board
191
as firmly as being screwed. Furthermore, the motor
181
can easily be incorporated into the device, and the electric connection is secured.
However, this conventional construction can not be adopted to the case in which a motor functioning as an electromagnetic vibrator is incorporated into the device while holding the motor elastically. Providing the conventional construction is adopted, if the motor being held elastically is incorporated into the device, a contact failure would possibly occur due to the sliding of the electric connection caused by vibration. This possibility is also mentioned in H08-308170.
In the technical field of the present invention, as
FIG. 9
illustrates, reliability of the electric connections provided through the elastic contact could be maintained if the electromagnetic vibrator is firmly fixed to the device. However, when the electromagnetic vibrator held elastically is incorporated into the device, the reliability of the elastically contacting section can not be maintained, if the electric connection is provided through the elastic contact. In other words, there is an antinomy relationship between incorporating the electromagnetic vibrator, held elastically into the device and providing the electric connection through elastic contact.
In order to hold the electromagnetic vibrator elastically, the elastically contacted portion needs to resist the external impact. However, such impact resistance has been difficult to achieve in the technology field of the present invention where components are very small.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An electromagnetic vibrator can be easily fabricated, and has high reliability in electric connections, as well as being highly reliable when incorporated in a device.
The electromagnetic vibrator comprises the following elements:
(a) a vibration generating mechanism;
(b) a case for containing at least part of the vibration generating mechanism;
(c) power feeding terminals for supplying power to the vibration generating mechanism, protruding from the case;
(d) an elastic body covering at least part of the case; and
(e) an elastic pressing body deformable under pressure, formed in part of the elastic body.
When the electromagnetic vibrator is incorporated into a device, a part of the device presses the case. Therefore, the elastic pressing body presses the power feeding terminals toward power feeding lands disposed on the device side, and the power feeding terminals contact the power feeding lands thereby electrically connecting themselves with the power feeding lands. In another construction of the present invention, instead of the elastic pressing body formed in a part of the elastic body, an independently formed, deformable, elastic pressing body is disposed on a position overlapping the power feeding terminals.
A device may incorporate the electromagnetic vibrator having the foregoing construction.
With the construction described above, when the electromagnetic vibrator is incorporated into the device, the electric connection of the electromagnetic vibrator can be provided by crimping while maintaining its elasticity. The electromagnetic vibrator can be easily incorporated into the device by mounting it on a mounting board and providing a housing thereon. The electric connection can also be very easily provided, without soldering, by simply incorporating the electromagnetic vibrator into the device.
This construc
Fukuoka Kodo
Ibata Eiichi
Tsuzaki Toshiaki
Dinh Le Dang
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Ramirez Nestor
Ratner & Prestia
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